Terrifier Trilogy Returns to Regal Theaters for Halloween Weekend

The "Terrifier" trilogy returns to Regal theaters nationwide on Halloween weekend, October 29–31, with showtimes for all three films: 2016's "Terrifier," 2022's "Terrifier 2" and 2024's "Terrifier 3." The re-release is presented by the video game "Dead by Daylight" and its developer Behaviour Interactive, with support from distributors Cineverse and Epic Pictures.

The commercial logic is straightforward. "Dead by Daylight" features Art the Clown, the trilogy's mute killer, as a playable character. Every ticketholder for any of the three films will be entered into a drawing to win a download code for the game. Regal Crown Club members who buy tickets receive a code for an in-game cosmetic: Art's retro flower sunglasses.

How big is this franchise, really?

The numbers explain why exhibitors want it back. "Terrifier 2" grossed $16.8 million worldwide on a $250,000 budget. "Terrifier 3" earned over $90 million worldwide on a $2 million budget — a return that most studio releases cannot approach. The first film, made for even less, built the audience that the sequels converted into a genuine box office phenomenon.

Damien Leone wrote and directed all three films. David Howard Thornton plays Art the Clown. Lauren LaVera plays Sienna Shaw, the series' protagonist, who joins the story in the second chapter.

Leone has been candid about the creative method behind the gore. Speaking to Variety when the third film was released, he said: "I'm always looking for lines to get up to, to push the boundary. Maybe just step right over it. But you can absolutely fall into a level of extreme distaste that I'm trying not to do."

That distinction — boundary-pushing without, in his words, "extreme distaste" — is the franchise's brand. It is also the thing skeptics should watch. The re-release bundles a horror property with a video game cross-promotion aimed squarely at the game's player base, and the giveaway mechanics tie ticket purchases to in-game rewards. Neither Regal nor Behaviour Interactive has said how many download codes will be distributed or what odds the drawing carries.

What does this change for horror fans?

In practice, three things:

• A rare chance to see ultra-gory, unrated-adjacent horror on a big screen outside a festival context.
• A test of whether the 2024 box office momentum for "Terrifier 3" still translates a year later.
• A template for game studios underwriting theatrical re-releases as marketing spend — if this run performs, expect imitators.

What the announcement does not include is any news on a fourth film. Leone has not announced a release date or title for a sequel in this re-release's materials, and the weekend is framed purely as a retrospective plus game promotion.

The trilogy runs at Regal locations October 29 through October 31. Whether Art the Clown's sunglasses prove a stronger draw than a standard Halloween re-run will show in the weekend grosses.